Peanut-stemming machine.



PATENTE) AUG.1A, 1906. P. AAGWALTNEY. .PEANUT ATEMMING MACHINE.

3 SHBBTS-SEEETI.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2, 1906.

PATENTED AUG. 14, 1906.

P. D. GWALTNEY. PEANUT STEMMING-MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 2, 1906.

a SHEETS-SHEET 2Q /NVE/VTOH PEMBROKE DGWALJNEY A TTOH/VEYS ITO UNiTEn sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

PEMBROKE D. GWALTNEY, OF SMITHFIELD, VIRGINIA.

` y:el-:ANuT-sriiwmmNe. MACHINE.

No. sas-,736.

Specication of Letters Patent.

'Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

Apprenti@ nea February z, 190s. seria No. 299,151.

Aduff from the ground require to be removed preiininary to storage, transportation, or

Lpreparatibn for the market, and this is ordinarily done by hand, which is a slow, laborious, and expensive operation. vised and put in successful commercial use a I have vdesim le'machine which performs the Work effectively, quickly, and cheaply, without injury to the peanuts themselves.

he construction, combination, and opera- .tion of parts composing said machine are .a plan view of the machine.

, 1 Fig.

hereinafter described, and the novel features embodying my invention are specifically indicate In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is Fig. 2 1s a side view of the same. Fig. 3 isa longitudinal vertical section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fi 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line 4 4 o Fig. 5 is an enlarged side view of one of the toothed disks or stemmers proper.

A indicates a bed or plane surface over and al indicates the vertical longitudinal sides of the same, the two thus forming practically a trough-shaped guideway. The vbed A is provided with a series of transverse rows of l vertical slots a', the same being shown arlss ranged so that the slots of one row are staggered with relation to those of adjoining rows, or, in other words, are so arranged as to be opposite the spaces which intervene the slots of adjoining rows. one row extend into the spaces of an adj-oining row, the several slots thus overlapping, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. The stemmers proper are toothed disks B, (see Figs. 3 and 4,) the same being mounted upon transverse shafts D,which are arranged parallel and horizontal beneath the vbed A. The upper portions or segments of the several disks project through the aforesaid slots a, as indicated .in Figs. 2 and 3. The disks are clamped and secured upon their several shafts by means of collars c and nuts c', working on the threaded portions of the shaftsgias will be readi1 y understood by 'the usual manner.

Further, the slots of,

reference to Fig. 4. The shafts D have their bearings in the side portionsof the metal framework E, which, as shown in Fig. 4, -is provided with inwardly-projecting horizontal flanges e and with vertical flanges e', which support the sides a of the guideway. The

v bed A is preferably formed of a metal plate,

and the inner sides of the vertical parts a are covered with smooth sheet metal, so that friction of the peanuts in passing through the guideway is reduced to a minimum. As shown in Fig. 2, each shaft D is provided at one end, exterior to the frame E, with a spurgear F,- which is keyed or clamped in place in One of the end shafts of` 7o the series is extended, as indicated in Fig. 1,

and provided with a driving-pulley or other device for suitable connection with a motor, and by this means rotation at uniform speed is im arted to all the toothed disks ofthe severa gangs or series.` The entrance end of the guideway is indicated by X, and the exit'end by Y. The direction of rotation of the several series of disks is indicated by arrows. In other words, the upper segments of the disks which-project above the bed-plate A travel inl the direction toward the exit end. The teeth b of the several disks enga e the stems of the peanuts and drag them (Iown through the slots", and it is manifest that in this operation the nuts are fed or movednforward toward the end Y of the guideway. The inclination or angle of the teeth b is therefore important, since it obviates the necessity of inclining the bottom or bed.A` of the guideway or the employment of supplemental means to feed the peanuts' from X to Y. The bed-plate A andA all its attachments may, however, be arranged at ana-ngle or downward inclination to facilitate the forward feed or travel of the peanuts by the effect of gravity.

The formand` arrangement of the teeth b of the several stemmers B is best illustrated in Fig. 5. As there shown, they are inclined at an acute angle to radii of the disks and are made practically wedge-shaped or tapered IOO from the base to the extremity, where they are rounded slightly on the longer side and terminate in an offset or hook W. It is highly important that this hook shall be rounded or blunted in order that it may not pierce or otherwise injure the peanut pods or shells and still take the. required hold on the stems. The sides of the body of the teeth are strai ht and instead Aof a sharp angle being formed etween them at^the ullet or throat b2 the latter is broadened an made rounded or straight for the purpose of preventing the peanut-v sterns wedging and chokin in the throat, as they would otherwise be iable tio, do.' In

other words, the width of the throat or gullet is made equal to the usual diameter of apeanut-stem, so that the latter may escape freely therefromin case of lodgme'nt. It' willjbe understood, however, that this lodgment or release is favored by the centrifiigalactioncf the disks. It is apparent that the special form and inclination of the teeth b enables thorn to take hold of the peanut-ste`r`ns and carry them. forward and dragv theml down through the sl'ots, the-sainevdischak ing from the lower sides ot the disk as the atterro tates., It will'be understood that thepoints bf and, in fact, the entire shorter-*sides of the teeth b are blunted, so-as to avoidfcutting the stems.

' zigzag. In this manner-is insureddue-action B- should'1 er tend off the tocthedgd-isks on' all ofthe stems, and therefore the/practically p'erect removal' of the stems. i

By practical? test IE have -found that the upper pcrticnsvorse" entsof' the vsti-)miners In three-fourths or an inchto three or incre-inches above the'bot'- torn plate A, as requiredby the work to be done and the desiredcapacit'y of' the rnachine. It is tcbe understood that if'suilicient pitch or inclination were given to the bedeplate it wculdbe' possible to cause the nuts to travel in a direction opposite to the rotationof the disks;

l do not of coursel restrict my invention absolutely to thestennningof peanuts, as it 'may be appliedfor anale cus purposes. l

While the'several sha ts upon which the toothed disks are mounted are eared together, as described, it is apparent t at bevele gears or chain and sprocket-wheels or vari- @Qavee ous other means may be employedlf'or rotatin the shafts. `at I' claim is- 1. In a machine for the purpose specified, I

the combination, with a guideway including sides and the bedv late provided with .a seriesof longitudina slots, of a corresponding series of disks projecting through the slots, andabove the bed-plate', a series of shafts arranged beneath the bed-plate upon which the.

disks are mounted, and means for iev-olvin the same, the several disks bein provide with peripheral teeth which are' inelined' tov radii of the .respective disks and in thedireen tion of' required travel of the peanuts over the lbed-plate, the'outer ends of the teethbeing blunt and curved, or slightly extended in the'dinection of' the inclination, thus fomiing a'blunt and roundedhook, asandffor the prurpose specified.

2. Ina machine fertile-purpose specified, the combination, with a bed-plate having a series of'transverse rows of'lon itu'dinal slots, vertical sides arrangedparal el to form a uideway, andy metal frame-pieces having orizontal and vertical" lian es forY attachnient and support of the sai '-bedeplateand sides, the-lower p'ortionsof said? frame'being provided" with bearings, transverse shafts arranged in such bearings beneath theslbtte'd bede' late, a-series of' toothed disksmounted on t e shafts and projectin through' and abovethe slots of the be'date,- andl spurgears mounted on said sha ts `and'-idlorsinterp csed between the gears for imparting r0- taticn te the'shafts in thesarnedirection, as described.

8; The improvedi peanutestemmer, consisting of a disk havin peripheral teeth which are inclined to ra ii of' the disk, the same being-tapered from the'baseoutfward, their o'ppositeedges being straight andthe outer ends rounded and projecting slightly on the shorter side to adapt'them toen `age and hold the-stems inthe manner deseri ed.

Witnesses:

S. BAK-ER, Geschl). DEY. 

